Hygienic deposit and collection box.



E. 0. TETRAULT & T. B. PAIRGHILD.

HYGIENIO DEPOSIT AND COLLECTION BOX.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 16. 1912.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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EDWARD O. TETRAULT AND TRACY B. FAIRCI-IILD, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

HYGIENIG DEPOSIT AND COLLECTION BOX.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 16, 1912. SerialNo. 884,203.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD O.TE'1RAULT and TRACY B. FAIRCHILD, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hygienic Deposit and Collection Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to deposit and. collection boxes, such as are designed to be employed for the reception of laundry and bread and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a deposit and collection box of this character which is durable and inexpensive in its construction, which can be easily and quickly manipulated, and which enables articles to be readily deposited therein and subsequently removed therefrom by a properly authorized person.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a deposit and collection box constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the deposit and collection box. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the lower door, showing the same in an elevated position, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of the receptacle the said body portion being normally hel in an upright position and being supported upon the four legs 2- which may be advantageously formed of angle iron, and which project downwardly from the corners thereof. The top 3 of the receptacle is rounded at the front and rear thereof and is provided at the front with an inlet opening normally closed by a cover 4. This cover 4 is hinged to the upper edge of the inlet opening at 5 and forms part of a swinging trap 6. This trap comprises sides 6 which bear against the opposite sides of the box 1 upon the in terior thereof, and also an end port-ion 6 which connects the inner ends of the sides 6* and has the upper end thereof extended forwardly so as to form a continuation of the cover 4. The cover or lid 4 is provided at the swinging end thereof with a handle 7 by meansof which it can be swung upwardly into an open position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The end wall 6 of the trap is then brought into engagement with the front of the box 1 so that the operator can not thrust his arm into the box and remove a package therefrom. The package which it is desired to place in the box is dropped into the trap 6, and when the cover or lid 4 is released, the end wall 6' swings rearwardly away from the end of the box 1 so as to permit the package to drop into the box. The upward swinging movement of the lid 4 is limited by contact of the lower edge of the wall 6' of the trap with the front of the box 1, while the downward swinging movement of the flap or cover 4 is limited by contact of the free end thereof with the front of the box, and also by contact of the upper portion of the trap with the top of the box, the said upper portion of the trap being curved so as to fit closely against the top of the box.

A discharge opening is formed in the front of the box at a point toward the bottom thereof, the edges of the said opening having a frame 8 applied thereto. A sliding door 9 is provided for closing this opening, the said door having the edges thereof received within vertical guide members 10 which are applied to the interior of the box 1. The lower edge of the door is provided with a staple 11 adapted to be engaged by a hasp 12 hinged to the box, and to receive a padlock 13 for the purpose of locking the door in a closed position. When the door 9 is moved upwardly, however, for the purpose of removing the articles from the interior of the box 1, a spring actuated pin 14 which is carried by the door enters an opening 15 in the front of the box 1 so as to hold the door in a raised position and prevent the same from accidentally dropping. This Patented Feb. 25,1913.

enables the collector to employ both hands for removing the articles from the box, without any annoyance owing to the continual dropping of the door. The pin 1 1 projects loosely through an opening 16 in the sliding door 9 and has the rear end thereof secured to a spring strip 17 which is applied to the back of the door. The spring normally tends to force the pin outwardly so that it automatically enters the opening 15 in the front of the box when the door is raised. It will be noted that the end of the pin 14: is beveled at 18 and that the upper edge of the door opening is correspondingly beveled at 19, the said beveled portions 18 and 19 cooperating with each other to move the pin 14 rearwardly as the door is raised. \Vhen it is desired to close the door, it is merely necessary to press the pin 14. in wardly out of engagement with the opening 15 by means of a small stick or pencil. The door will then drop into a closed position by the action of gravity and the hasp 12 can be quickly swung into engagement with the staple 11 and the padlock 13 applied to the staple.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device of the character described having an opening in one side thereof, the upper edge of the opening having a beveled portion, a sliding closure adapted to close said opening and having a perforation therein, a spring strip having one end thereof rigid upon the back of said closure, and a pin carried by the free end of said spring strip and normally projecting through and beyond said perforation, the nose of said pin being beveled for cooperation with the beveled portion of the opening to force the pin against the act-ion of the spring, said body being provided with a perforation above said opening to receive. the pin as the closure is raised and hold the same in an elevated position, and guide means for said closure.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD O. TETRAULT. TRACY B. FAIRCHILD.

WVitnesses.

ERNEST lVAL'rnR SMITH, I-TELEN R. Sl-IAILER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

